The Solidarity Bench Project was initiated by SafeNet and community and parish members of Santa Barbara, California. It's purpose was to install a bench and create a place near St. Anthony's Seminary that acknowledges and honors all who were hurt by the sexual abuse scandal.  

     An athletic bench that Brother Clem Wehe, O.F.M., built in the fifties from plank wood and old bed rails is now in place on the grounds of Old Mission Santa Barbara. To view a photo of the bench click here.

    The formal dedication ceremony for The Solidarity Bench was held on Saturday, July 18, 2009  and the plaque honoring Clem was afixed to the bench. In attendance were many members of Clem's family and numerous alumni of Saint Anthony's Seminary. The bench dedication conicided with the annual Saint Anthony's Seminary Alumni Association reunion.

     The second plaque, honoring all who have been impacted the sexual abuse crisis, has been made and will be installed and mounted on a stone in front of the bench after sufficient funds are raised to complete the project, ie: securing a suitable stone, transporting it to the designated site, and restoring the bench to its original condition.

     Although Clem's bench has been officially dedicated, there is still much work to be done to complete this project.  Please consider supporting it with a donation.        

About the Solidarity Bench Project

     In 2006 SafeNet and community and parish members of Santa Barbara, California, joined to form The Solidarity Project. The purpose of the project was to create a place on the grounds of Old Mission Santa Barbara and next door to St. Anthony's Seminary (SAS) to acknowledge and honor all who were hurt by the sexual abuse crisis. The steering committee for the project included, Clement Krause, former SAS seminarian and friar, and St. Barbara parishioner, Angelica Jochim, Pastoral Outreach Coordinator and survivor advocate for the Franciscan Province, Kathleen Strittmatter, St. Barbara parishioner and Voice of the Faithful member, Paul Fericano, former SAS seminarian, survivor, and SafeNet co-founder, and Jack Clark Robinson, O.F.M., friar, friend, and scholar.

     Grateful for the initial support in 2006 of Alberic Smith, O.F.M., Guardian of the Old Mission, and Fr. Richard Jucix, O.F.M., Pastor of St. Barbara Parish (both former alumni of St. Anthony's Seminary), the proposed site for the project was approved. The project included the placement of two plaques and a bench on the site where people could sit, talk, and reflect. As a powerful symbol of unity, the chosen bench was one of the old athletic benches that former Franciscan Brother Clem Wehe built for the students at St. Anthony's Seminary in the early fifties. Using plank wood which he painted a ubiquitous "Santa Barbara Blue," Clem fashioned and welded the steel bench supports from old bed frames taken from the attic of the freshman dormitory ("The Barn").

Current Status

     Negotiations with the new owners of the seminary to secure the bench for this project continued for more than two years. With the sad and unexpected news in June, 2008, that Clem had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given only a few months to live, talks moved more rapidly. On July 9, 2008, one of the athletic benches was finally transferred from the property at St. Anthony's Seminary to the Old Mission grounds.

     The bench is now located on a space that is situated approximately 300 feet from the Mission Renewal entrance in a peaceful area on the grass and under the trees, and adjacent to the Garden Street entrance/road shared by the Old Mission and St. Anthony's Seminary.

Commemorative Plaques

     Two commemorative plaques have been made for the site. One plaque honor s all who were impacted by the sexual abuse crisis and will be embedded in a rock facing the bench. The other plaque honors Clem Wehe's contribution and has already been placed on the bench itself.

The text for the plaque to be embedded in the rock reads:

"From 1896 until 1987, Saint Anthony’s Seminary next door nurtured and prepared boys for the priesthood. There was great joy on this campus and great sorrow, too. We celebrate the good things, and we acknowledge the pain of those who were abused there, their families, schoolmates, friars and the community in order to reconcile our past with hope for the future."

The text for the plaque on the bench reads:

"This athletic bench was built in 1954 by former Franciscan Brother Clem Wehe, OFM, who was a handyman and a friend to hundreds of boys who attended St. Anthony's Seminary. Over the years many students and faculty members sat on this bench cheering for their teams, talking with each other, and spending time in quiet reflection. We invite all who sit here to hold this memory with us."

Dedication Date

The Solidarity Bench was officially dedicated on Saturday, July 18, 2009, during the 2009 annual St. Anthony's Seminary Alumni Reunion (July 16 - 19). Over 60 people attended the dedication to honor Clem and the Wehe family.